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Loesch DZ, Atkinson A, Hall DA, Tassone F, Stimpson P, Storey E. Cognitive status correlates of subclinical action tremor in female carriers of FMR1 premutation. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1401286. [PMID: 38903175 PMCID: PMC11188871 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1401286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background There is evidence for a significant excess of kinetic upper limb tremor in non-FXTAS female FMR1 premutation carriers. The present study explores the possibility that this tremor is associated with various other features reminiscent of those occurring in syndromic FXTAS. Sample/methods This study analyzed the data from an Australian cohort of 48 asymptomatic premutation women. We utilized spiral drawings from CRST, representing action tremor; the CRST total tremor; and ICARS- kinetic tremors/cerebellar ataxia scales. Cognitive tests (involving executive functioning) included SDMT, TMT, two subtests of the WAIS-III: MR and Similarities. Spearman Rank correlations assessed the relationships between the above measures, and the Chi-square tested hypothesis about the association between the white matter hyperintensities (wmhs) in the splenium of corpus callosum assessed from MR images and spiral drawings scores. Results The spiral drawing scores were significantly correlated with all three non-verbal cognitive test scores, and with the CRST scores; the latter correlated with all four cognitive test measures. Similarities (verbal) scores correlated with CRST, ICARS, and with the remaining cognitive scores. Ordered spiral scores' categories were significantly associated with the degree of splenium involvement. Conclusion This study showed that, in non-FXTAS premutation female carriers, sub-symptomatic forms of kinetic tremor were associated with a broader motor, and cognitive (especially executive) dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danuta Z. Loesch
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Anna Atkinson
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Deborah A. Hall
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Centre, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Flora Tassone
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis Medical Centre, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Paige Stimpson
- Wellness and Recovery Centre, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Elsdon Storey
- Department of Medicine (Neuroscience), Alfred Hospital Campus, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Butler MG, Hossain WA, Steinle J, Gao H, Cox E, Niu Y, Quach M, Veatch OJ. Connective Tissue Disorders and Fragile X Molecular Status in Females: A Case Series and Review. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169090. [PMID: 36012355 PMCID: PMC9408984 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disabilities and the second most common cause after Down syndrome. FXS is an X-linked disorder due to a full mutation of the CGG triplet repeat of the FMR1 gene which codes for a protein that is crucial in synaptogenesis and maintaining functions of extracellular matrix-related proteins, key for the development of normal neuronal and connective tissue including collagen. In addition to neuropsychiatric and behavioral problems, individuals with FXS show physical features suggestive of a connective tissue disorder including loose skin and joint laxity, flat feet, hernias and mitral valve prolapse. Disturbed collagen leads to hypermobility, hyperextensible skin and tissue fragility with musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, immune and other organ involvement as seen in hereditary disorders of connective tissue including Ehlers−Danlos syndrome. Recently, FMR1 premutation repeat expansion or carrier status has been reported in individuals with connective tissue disorder-related symptoms. We examined a cohort of females with features of a connective tissue disorder presenting for genetic services using next-generation sequencing (NGS) of a connective tissue disorder gene panel consisting of approximately 75 genes. In those females with normal NGS testing for connective tissue disorders, the FMR1 gene was then analyzed using CGG repeat expansion studies. Three of thirty-nine females were found to have gray zone or intermediate alleles at a 1:13 ratio which was significantly higher (p < 0.05) when compared with newborn females representing the general population at a 1:66 ratio. This association of connective tissue involvement in females with intermediate or gray zone alleles reported for the first time will require more studies on how the size variation may impact FMR1 gene function and protein directly or in relationship with other susceptibility genes involved in connective tissue disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merlin G. Butler
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. MS 4015, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(913)-588-1800; Fax: +1-(913)-588-1305
| | - Waheeda A. Hossain
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. MS 4015, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Jacob Steinle
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. MS 4015, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Harry Gao
- Fulgent Genetics, 4978 Santa Anita Ave., Temple City, CA 91780, USA
| | - Eleina Cox
- Fulgent Genetics, 4978 Santa Anita Ave., Temple City, CA 91780, USA
| | - Yuxin Niu
- Fulgent Genetics, 4978 Santa Anita Ave., Temple City, CA 91780, USA
| | - May Quach
- Fulgent Genetics, 4978 Santa Anita Ave., Temple City, CA 91780, USA
| | - Olivia J. Veatch
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. MS 4015, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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Bangert K, Scott KS, Adams C, Kisenwether JS, Giuffre L, Reed J, Thurman AJ, Abbeduto L, Klusek J. Cluttering in the Speech of Young Men With Fragile X Syndrome. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2022; 65:954-969. [PMID: 35196138 PMCID: PMC9150725 DOI: 10.1044/2021_jslhr-21-00446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cluttering is a fluency disorder that has been noted clinically in individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS). Yet, cluttering has not been systematically characterized in this population, hindering identification and intervention efforts. This study examined the rates of cluttering in male young adults with FXS using expert clinical opinion, the alignment between expert clinical opinion and objectively quantified features of cluttering from language transcripts, and the association between cluttering and aspects of the FXS phenotype. METHOD Thirty-six men with FXS (aged 18-26 years; M = 22, SD = 2.35) contributed language samples and completed measures of nonverbal cognition, autism symptoms, anxiety, and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The presence of cluttering was determined by the consensus of two clinical experts in fluency disorders based on characteristics exhibited in the language sample. Cluttering features (speech rate, disfluencies, etc.) were also objectively quantified from the language transcripts. RESULTS Clinical experts determined that 50% of participants met the criteria for a cluttering diagnosis. Phrase repetitions were the most salient feature that distinguished individuals who cluttered. Although the presence of cluttering was not associated with autism symptoms or mean length of utterance, cluttering was more likely to occur when nonverbal cognitive ability was higher, ADHD symptoms were elevated, and anxiety symptoms were low. CONCLUSIONS Half of the male young adults with FXS exhibited cluttering, which supports FXS as a genetic diagnosis that is highly enriched for risk of cluttering. Cluttering was associated with increased ADHD symptoms and cognitive ability and reduced anxiety symptoms. This study contributes a new description of the clinical presentation of cluttering in men with FXS and may lead to improved understanding of the potential underlying mechanisms of cluttering and eventual refinements to treatment and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Bangert
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia
| | | | - Charley Adams
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia
| | | | - Lisa Giuffre
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Misericordia University, Dallas, PA
| | - Jenna Reed
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Misericordia University, Dallas, PA
| | - Angela John Thurman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis Health, Sacramento
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis Health, Sacramento
| | - Leonard Abbeduto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis Health, Sacramento
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis Health, Sacramento
| | - Jessica Klusek
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia
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4
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Neurodegenerative diseases associated with non-coding CGG tandem repeat expansions. Nat Rev Neurol 2022; 18:145-157. [PMID: 35022573 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-021-00612-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Non-coding CGG repeat expansions cause multiple neurodegenerative disorders, including fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease, oculopharyngeal myopathy with leukodystrophy, and oculopharyngodistal myopathy. The underlying genetic causes of several of these diseases have been identified only in the past 2-3 years. These expansion disorders have substantial overlapping clinical, neuroimaging and histopathological features. The shared features suggest common mechanisms that could have implications for the development of therapies for this group of diseases - similar therapeutic strategies or drugs may be effective for various neurodegenerative disorders induced by non-coding CGG expansions. In this Review, we provide an overview of clinical and pathological features of these CGG repeat expansion diseases and consider the likely pathological mechanisms, including RNA toxicity, CGG repeat-associated non-AUG-initiated translation, protein aggregation and mitochondrial impairment. We then discuss future research needed to improve the identification and diagnosis of CGG repeat expansion diseases, to improve modelling of these diseases and to understand their pathogenesis. We also consider possible therapeutic strategies. Finally, we propose that CGG repeat expansion diseases may represent manifestations of a single underlying neuromyodegenerative syndrome in which different organs are affected to different extents depending on the gene location of the repeat expansion.
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Fisher PR, Allan CY, Sanislav O, Atkinson A, Ngoei KRW, Kemp BE, Storey E, Loesch DZ, Annesley SJ. Relationships between Mitochondrial Function, AMPK, and TORC1 Signaling in Lymphoblasts with Premutation Alleles of the FMR1 Gene. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10393. [PMID: 34638732 PMCID: PMC8508849 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The X-linked FMR1 gene contains a non-coding trinucleotide repeat in its 5' region that, in normal, healthy individuals contains 20-44 copies. Large expansions of this region (>200 copies) cause fragile X syndrome (FXS), but expansions of 55-199 copies (referred to as premutation alleles) predispose carriers to a neurodegenerative disease called fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). The cytopathological mechanisms underlying FXTAS are poorly understood, but abnormalities in mitochondrial function are believed to play a role. We previously reported that lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs, or lymphoblasts) of premutation carriers have elevated mitochondrial respiratory activities. In the carriers, especially those not clinically affected with FXTAS, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity was shown to be elevated. In the FXTAS patients, however, it was negatively correlated with brain white matter lesions, suggesting a protective role in the molecular mechanisms. Here, we report an enlarged and extended study of mitochondrial function and associated cellular stress-signaling pathways in lymphoblasts isolated from male and female premutation carriers, regardless of their clinical status, and healthy controls. The results confirmed the elevation of AMPK and mitochondrial respiratory activities and reduction in reactive O2 species (ROS) levels in premutation cells and revealed for the first time that target of rapamycin complex I (TORC1) activities are reduced. Extensive correlation, multiple regression, and principal components analysis revealed the best fitting statistical explanations of these changes in terms of the other variables measured. These suggested which variables might be the most "proximal" regulators of the others in the extensive network of known causal interactions amongst the measured parameters of mitochondrial function and cellular stress signaling. In the resulting model, the premutation alleles activate AMPK and inhibit both TORC1 and ROS production, the reduced TORC1 activity contributes to activation of AMPK and of nonmitochondrial metabolism, and the higher AMPK activity results in elevated catabolic metabolism, mitochondrial respiration, and ATP steady state levels. In addition, the results suggest a separate CGG repeat number-dependent elevation of TORC1 activity that is insufficient to overcome the inhibition of TORC1 in premutation cells but may presage the previously reported activation of TORC1 in FXS cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul R. Fisher
- Department of Physiology Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia; (C.Y.A.); (O.S.); (S.J.A.)
| | - Claire Y. Allan
- Department of Physiology Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia; (C.Y.A.); (O.S.); (S.J.A.)
| | - Oana Sanislav
- Department of Physiology Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia; (C.Y.A.); (O.S.); (S.J.A.)
| | - Anna Atkinson
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia; (A.A.); (D.Z.L.)
| | - Kevin R. W. Ngoei
- St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia; (K.R.W.N.); (B.E.K.)
| | - Bruce E. Kemp
- St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia; (K.R.W.N.); (B.E.K.)
- Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Elsdon Storey
- Department of Medicine, Alfred Hospital Campus, Monash University, Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia;
| | - Danuta Z. Loesch
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia; (A.A.); (D.Z.L.)
| | - Sarah J. Annesley
- Department of Physiology Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia; (C.Y.A.); (O.S.); (S.J.A.)
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6
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Rosario R, Anderson R. The molecular mechanisms that underlie fragile X-associated premature ovarian insufficiency: is it RNA or protein based? Mol Hum Reprod 2021; 26:727-737. [PMID: 32777047 PMCID: PMC7566375 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaaa057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The FMR1 gene contains a polymorphic CGG trinucleotide sequence within its 5′ untranslated region. More than 200 CGG repeats (termed a full mutation) underlie the severe neurodevelopmental condition fragile X syndrome, while repeat lengths that range between 55 and 200 (termed a premutation) result in the conditions fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome and fragile X-associated premature ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI). Premutations in FMR1 are the most common monogenic cause of premature ovarian insufficiency and are routinely tested for clinically; however, the mechanisms that contribute to the pathology are still largely unclear. As studies in this field move towards unravelling the molecular mechanisms involved in FXPOI aetiology, we review the evidence surrounding the two main theories which describe an RNA toxic gain-of-function mechanism, resulting in the loss of function of RNA-binding proteins, or a protein-based mechanism, where repeat-associated non-AUG translation leads to the formation of an abnormal polyglycine containing protein, called FMRpolyG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roseanne Rosario
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Richard Anderson
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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7
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Zhao X, Usdin K. (Dys)function Follows Form: Nucleic Acid Structure, Repeat Expansion, and Disease Pathology in FMR1 Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179167. [PMID: 34502075 PMCID: PMC8431139 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X-related disorders (FXDs), also known as FMR1 disorders, are examples of repeat expansion diseases (REDs), clinical conditions that arise from an increase in the number of repeats in a disease-specific microsatellite. In the case of FXDs, the repeat unit is CGG/CCG and the repeat tract is located in the 5' UTR of the X-linked FMR1 gene. Expansion can result in neurodegeneration, ovarian dysfunction, or intellectual disability depending on the number of repeats in the expanded allele. A growing body of evidence suggests that the mutational mechanisms responsible for many REDs share several common features. It is also increasingly apparent that in some of these diseases the pathologic consequences of expansion may arise in similar ways. It has long been known that many of the disease-associated repeats form unusual DNA and RNA structures. This review will focus on what is known about these structures, the proteins with which they interact, and how they may be related to the causative mutation and disease pathology in the FMR1 disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Zhao
- Correspondence: (X.Z.); (K.U.); Tel.: +1-301-451-6322 (X.Z.); +1-301-496-2189 (K.U.)
| | - Karen Usdin
- Correspondence: (X.Z.); (K.U.); Tel.: +1-301-451-6322 (X.Z.); +1-301-496-2189 (K.U.)
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8
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Talvio K, Kanninen KM, White AR, Koistinaho J, Castrén ML. Increased iron content in the heart of the Fmr1 knockout mouse. Biometals 2021; 34:947-954. [PMID: 34089433 PMCID: PMC8313461 DOI: 10.1007/s10534-021-00320-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Trace elements have important functions in several processes involved in cellular homeostasis and survival. Dysfunctional metal ion homeostasis can make an important impact on cellular defence mechanisms. We assessed the concentrations of 23 trace minerals in different tissues (brain, spleen, heart and liver) of Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice that display the main phenotype of Fragile X syndrome (FXS), an intellectual disability syndrome and the best-known monogenic model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Altogether, seven minerals—Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and P—were above the detection limit with the analysis revealing increased iron content in the heart of Fmr1 KO mice. In addition, levels of iron were higher in the cerebellum of the transgenic mouse when compared to wild type controls. These results implicate a role for dysregulated iron homeostasis in FXS tissues and suggest that defective iron-related mechanisms contribute to increased tissue vulnerability in FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karo Talvio
- Faculty of Medicine, Physiology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katja M Kanninen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Anthony R White
- Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Cell and Molecular Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jari Koistinaho
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maija L Castrén
- Faculty of Medicine, Physiology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 63, 00290, Helsinki, Finland.
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9
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Zhang S, Gong Q, Wu D, Tian Y, Shen L, Lu J, Xu L, Gu H, Xu J, Liu W. Genetic and Pathological Characteristic Patterns of a Family With Neuronal Intranuclear Inclusion Disease. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2021; 79:1293-1302. [PMID: 33271601 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlaa142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a rare, progressive neurodegenerative disorder. This study aimed to investigate clinical, imaging, genetic, and dermatopathological characteristics of a family with adult-onset NIID. The proband was a 62-year-old woman with 3 brothers and 2 sisters. Of these, 4 had symptoms of paroxysmal visual field defect, extrapyramidal symptoms, dysautonomia, emotional changes, and cognitive dysfunction. Genetic examination revealed no abnormality related to cerebrovascular diseases. More than 200 CGG repeats of FMR1 gene cause fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) whereas repeats of the proband were found 29 times, which excluded FXTAS. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and GC-rich-PCR identified an expanded GGC repeat (with ∼100 repeats) in the 5' region of NOTCH2NLC in the patient and her 2 younger brothers. Pathological examination found eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions inside adipocytes, fibrocytes, and sweat gland cells. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining revealed positive staining for ubiquitin and p62. The detailed pathological and genetic features of this NIID family provide a valuable contribution to the existing knowledge base of this rare disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shugang Zhang
- From the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University
| | - Qixing Gong
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated ZhongDa Hospital, Neuropsychiatric Institute, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu
| | - Yun Tian
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Lu Shen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jie Lu
- From the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University
| | - Ligang Xu
- From the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University
| | - Hao Gu
- From the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University
| | - Jianxia Xu
- From the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University
| | - Weiguo Liu
- From the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University
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Quach TT, Stratton HJ, Khanna R, Kolattukudy PE, Honnorat J, Meyer K, Duchemin AM. Intellectual disability: dendritic anomalies and emerging genetic perspectives. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 141:139-158. [PMID: 33226471 PMCID: PMC7855540 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02244-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Intellectual disability (ID) corresponds to several neurodevelopmental disorders of heterogeneous origin in which cognitive deficits are commonly associated with abnormalities of dendrites and dendritic spines. These histological changes in the brain serve as a proxy for underlying deficits in neuronal network connectivity, mostly a result of genetic factors. Historically, chromosomal abnormalities have been reported by conventional karyotyping, targeted fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and chromosomal microarray analysis. More recently, cytogenomic mapping, whole-exome sequencing, and bioinformatic mining have led to the identification of novel candidate genes, including genes involved in neuritogenesis, dendrite maintenance, and synaptic plasticity. Greater understanding of the roles of these putative ID genes and their functional interactions might boost investigations into determining the plausible link between cellular and behavioral alterations as well as the mechanisms contributing to the cognitive impairment observed in ID. Genetic data combined with histological abnormalities, clinical presentation, and transgenic animal models provide support for the primacy of dysregulation in dendrite structure and function as the basis for the cognitive deficits observed in ID. In this review, we highlight the importance of dendrite pathophysiology in the etiologies of four prototypical ID syndromes, namely Down Syndrome (DS), Rett Syndrome (RTT), Digeorge Syndrome (DGS) and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). Clinical characteristics of ID have also been reported in individuals with deletions in the long arm of chromosome 10 (the q26.2/q26.3), a region containing the gene for the collapsin response mediator protein 3 (CRMP3), also known as dihydropyrimidinase-related protein-4 (DRP-4, DPYSL4), which is involved in dendritogenesis. Following a discussion of clinical and genetic findings in these syndromes and their preclinical animal models, we lionize CRMP3/DPYSL4 as a novel candidate gene for ID that may be ripe for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tam T Quach
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- INSERM U1217/CNRS, UMR5310, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | | | - Rajesh Khanna
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85724, USA
| | | | - Jérome Honnorat
- INSERM U1217/CNRS, UMR5310, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- French Reference Center on Paraneoplastic Neurological Syndromes and Autoimmune Encephalitis, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
- SynatAc Team, Institut NeuroMyoGène, Lyon, France
| | - Kathrin Meyer
- The Research Institute of Nationwide Children Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
- Department of Pediatric, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Duchemin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
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11
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Loesch DZ, Kemp BE, Bui MQ, Fisher PR, Allan CY, Sanislav O, Ngoei KRW, Atkinson A, Tassone F, Annesley SJ, Storey E. Cellular Bioenergetics and AMPK and TORC1 Signalling in Blood Lymphoblasts Are Biomarkers of Clinical Status in FMR1 Premutation Carriers. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:747268. [PMID: 34880790 PMCID: PMC8645580 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.747268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting carriers of premutation alleles (PM) of the X-linked FMR1 gene, which contain CGG repeat expansions of 55-200 range in a non-coding region. This late-onset disorder is characterised by the presence of tremor/ataxia and cognitive decline, associated with the white matter lesions throughout the brain, especially involving the middle cerebellar peduncles. Nearly half of older male and ~ 20% of female PM carriers develop FXTAS. While there is evidence for mitochondrial dysfunction in neural and some peripheral tissues from FXTAS patients (though less obvious in the non-FXTAS PM carriers), the results from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) are still controversial. Motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric impairments were correlated with measures of mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial respiratory activity, AMPK, and TORC1 cellular stress-sensing protein kinases, and CGG repeat size, in a sample of adult FXTAS male and female carriers. Moreover, the levels of these cellular measures, all derived from Epstein- Barr virus (EBV)- transformed and easily accessible blood lymphoblasts, were compared between the FXTAS (N = 23) and non-FXTAS (n = 30) subgroups, and with baseline data from 33 healthy non-carriers. A significant hyperactivity of cellular bioenergetics components as compared with the baseline data, more marked in the non-FXTAS PMs, was negatively correlated with repeat numbers at the lower end of the CGG-PM distribution. Significant associations of these components with motor impairment measures, including tremor-ataxia and parkinsonism, and neuropsychiatric changes, were prevalent in the FXTAS subgroup. Moreover, a striking elevation of AMPK activity, and a decrease in TORC1 levels, especially in the non-FXTAS carriers, were related to the size of CGG expansion. The bioenergetics changes in blood lymphoblasts are biomarkers of the clinical status of FMR1 carriers. The relationship between these changes and neurological involvement in the affected carriers suggests that brain bioenergetic alterations are reflected in this peripheral tissue. A possible neuroprotective role of stress sensing kinase, AMPK, in PM carriers, should be addressed in future longitudinal studies. A decreased level of TORC1-the mechanistic target of the rapamycin complex, suggests a possible future approach to therapy in FXTAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danuta Z Loesch
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VA, Australia
| | - Bruce E Kemp
- Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VA, Australia.,St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research and Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, VA, Australia
| | - Minh Q Bui
- Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic, Epidemiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VA, Australia
| | - Paul R Fisher
- Department of Physiology Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VA, Australia
| | - Claire Y Allan
- Department of Physiology Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VA, Australia
| | - Oana Sanislav
- Department of Physiology Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VA, Australia
| | - Kevin R W Ngoei
- St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research and Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, VA, Australia
| | - Anna Atkinson
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VA, Australia
| | - Flora Tassone
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California Davis Medical Center, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Sarah J Annesley
- Department of Physiology Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VA, Australia
| | - Elsdon Storey
- Department of Medicine (Neuroscience), Monash University, Alfred Hospital Campus, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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12
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Salcedo‐Arellano MJ, Wolf‐Ochoa MW, Hong T, Amina S, Tassone F, Lechpammer M, Hagerman R, Martínez‐Cerdeño V. Parkinsonism Versus Concomitant Parkinson's Disease in Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome. Mov Disord Clin Pract 2020; 7:413-418. [PMID: 32373658 PMCID: PMC7197312 DOI: 10.1002/mdc3.12942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder associated with premutation alleles (55-200 CGG repeats) of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. FXTAS is characterized by the presence of ubiquitin-positive inclusions in neurons and astrocytes and by cerebellar tremor and ataxia. Parkinsonism has been reported in FXTAS, but most patients lack the characteristic rest tremor and severe rigidity seen in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). OBJECTIVE To describe the frequency of concomitant PD in FXTAS. METHODS We reviewed the medical record of 40 deceased patients diagnosed with FXTAS and performed a pathology analysis to confirm both FXTAS and PD. RESULTS Clinical histories indicated that 5 FXTAS patients were diagnosed with idiopathic PD and 2 with atypical parkinsonian syndrome. After pathological examination, we found that 7 patients in the PD clinical diagnosis group had dopaminergic neuronal loss; however, only 2 of 7 presented Lewy bodies (LBs) in the substantia nigra. Therefore, a total of 5% of the 40 cohort patients met the pathologic criteria for the concomitant diagnosis of FXTAS and PD. In addition, 2 patients not clinically diagnosed with PD also had nigral neuronal loss with LBs in substantia nigra. In total 10% of these 40 patients had LBs. CONCLUSION This report expands our understanding of clinical symptoms and unusual presentations in patients with FXTAS and the concept that the parkinsonism found in FXTAS is sometimes indistinguishable from PD. We propose that FMR1 should be recognized as one of the exceptional genetic causes of parkinsonism with presynaptic dopaminergic loss and LBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Jimena Salcedo‐Arellano
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of CaliforniaDavis, School of Medicine, SacramentoCaliforniaUSA
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute (MIND)University of CaliforniaDavis, SacramentoCaliforniaUSA
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine and Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern CaliforniaSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of California, Davis, School of MedicineSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Marisol Wendy Wolf‐Ochoa
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine and Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern CaliforniaSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of California, Davis, School of MedicineSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Tiffany Hong
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine and Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern CaliforniaSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of California, Davis, School of MedicineSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sarwat Amina
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine and Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern CaliforniaSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of California, Davis, School of MedicineSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Flora Tassone
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute (MIND)University of CaliforniaDavis, SacramentoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaDavis, SacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Mirna Lechpammer
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of California, Davis, School of MedicineSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Randi Hagerman
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of CaliforniaDavis, School of Medicine, SacramentoCaliforniaUSA
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute (MIND)University of CaliforniaDavis, SacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Verónica Martínez‐Cerdeño
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute (MIND)University of CaliforniaDavis, SacramentoCaliforniaUSA
- Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine and Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern CaliforniaSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of California, Davis, School of MedicineSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
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13
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Kim JK, Jeong JE, Choi JM, Kim GH, Yoo HW. A female with typical fragile-X phenotype caused by maternal isodisomy of the entire X chromosome. J Hum Genet 2020; 65:551-555. [PMID: 32144408 DOI: 10.1038/s10038-020-0735-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability, especially in males. Females with FXS tend to be relatively mildly affected because of compensation by a second X chromosome with a normal FMR1 gene. In most cases, FXS is caused by an expansion of the CGG repeats (>200 triplets, full mutation, FM) in the 5'-untranslated region of the FMR1 gene. Premutation alleles (PM, 55-200 repeats), usually lack the clinical features of FXS, are highly unstable when transmitted to offspring and can give rise to FM, especially in female meiosis. We describe a 3-year-old girl with typical FXS, with only a fully expanded FMR1 allele (288 CGG repeats) due to uniparental isodisomy of X chromosome, inherited from mother carrying a premutation allele. The patient's FMR1 methylation region is completely methylated due to full mutation of CGG repeat. This unusual and rare case indicates the importance of a detailed genomic approach to explain nontraditional Mendelian inheritance pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Kyung Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Ji-Eun Jeong
- Department of Pediatrics, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Jong-Moon Choi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Green Cross Genome, Yong-in, South Korea
| | - Gu-Hwan Kim
- Department of Pediatrics & Medical Genetics, Asan Medical, Center University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Han-Wook Yoo
- Department of Pediatrics & Medical Genetics, Asan Medical, Center University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
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14
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Loesch DZ, Tassone F, Mellick GD, Horne M, Rubio JP, Bui MQ, Francis D, Storey E. Evidence for the role of FMR1 gray zone alleles as a risk factor for parkinsonism in females. Mov Disord 2019; 33:1178-1181. [PMID: 30153395 DOI: 10.1002/mds.27420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objective There is convincing evidence that small CGG expansion (41-54 repeats): FMR1 "gray zone" alleles (GZ) contribute to the risk of parkinsonism in males, but there is insufficient corresponding data in females. This study intends to fill this gap. Methods We screened whole-blood-derived DNA from a cohort of 601 females diagnosed with idiopathic PD, and from dry Guthrie blood spots from a local sample of 1,005 female newborns (population controls), for the size of the FMR1 CGG repeat using a PCR technique. Results We found a significant excess (8.2%) of GZ carriers compared with 5.2% in the control sample, with a P value of 0.009 for the difference in proportions. Conclusion FMR1 gray zone alleles are a significant risk factor for parkinsonism in females. These population data and occasional reports of FXTAS-like or parkinsonian manifestations in carriers suggest possible mechanisms whereby the effects of these alleles synergize with the existing pathologies underpinning parkinsonism. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danuta Z Loesch
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Flora Tassone
- UC Davis MIND Institute, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - George D Mellick
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Malcolm Horne
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Justin P Rubio
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Minh Q Bui
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - David Francis
- Victorian Clinical Genetic Services, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Elsdon Storey
- Department of Medicine (Neuroscience), Monash University (Alfred Hospital Campus), Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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15
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Nayar K, McKinney W, Hogan AL, Martin GE, La Valle C, Sharp K, Berry-Kravis E, Norton ES, Gordon PC, Losh M. Language processing skills linked to FMR1 variation: A study of gaze-language coordination during rapid automatized naming among women with the FMR1 premutation. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219924. [PMID: 31348790 PMCID: PMC6660192 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The FMR1 premutation (PM) is relatively common in the general population. Evidence suggests that PM carriers may exhibit subtle differences in specific cognitive and language abilities. This study examined potential mechanisms underlying such differences through the study of gaze and language coordination during a language processing task (rapid automatized naming; RAN) among female carriers of the FMR1 PM. RAN taps a complex set of underlying neuropsychological mechanisms, with breakdowns implicating processing disruptions in fundamental skills that support higher order language and executive functions, making RAN (and analysis of gaze/language coordination during RAN) a potentially powerful paradigm for revealing the phenotypic expression of the FMR1 PM. Forty-eight PM carriers and 56 controls completed RAN on an eye tracker, where they serially named arrays of numbers, letters, colors, and objects. Findings revealed a pattern of inefficient language processing in the PM group, including a greater number of eye fixations (namely, visual regressions) and reduced eye-voice span (i.e., the eyes' lead over the voice) relative to controls. Differences were driven by performance in the latter half of the RAN arrays, when working memory and processing load are the greatest, implicating executive skills. RAN deficits were associated with broader social-communicative difficulties among PM carriers, and with FMR1-related molecular genetic variation (higher CGG repeat length, lower activation ratio, and increased levels of the fragile X mental retardation protein; FMRP). Findings contribute to an understanding of the neurocognitive profile of PM carriers and indicate specific gene-behavior associations that implicate the role of the FMR1 gene in language-related processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kritika Nayar
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Walker McKinney
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Abigail L. Hogan
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Gary E. Martin
- St. John’s University, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Queens, New York, United States of America
| | - Chelsea La Valle
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
- Psychology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Kevin Sharp
- Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | | | - Elizabeth S. Norton
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Peter C. Gordon
- Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Molly Losh
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
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16
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17
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Marques P, Korbonits M. Pseudoacromegaly. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 52:113-143. [PMID: 30448536 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with acromegaloid physical appearance or tall stature may be referred to endocrinologists to exclude growth hormone (GH) excess. While some of these subjects could be healthy individuals with normal variants of growth or physical traits, others will have acromegaly or pituitary gigantism, which are, in general, straightforward diagnoses upon assessment of the GH/IGF-1 axis. However, some patients with physical features resembling acromegaly - usually affecting the face and extremities -, or gigantism - accelerated growth/tall stature - will have no abnormalities in the GH axis. This scenario is termed pseudoacromegaly, and its correct diagnosis can be challenging due to the rarity and variability of these conditions, as well as due to significant overlap in their characteristics. In this review we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of pseudoacromegaly conditions, highlighting their similarities and differences with acromegaly and pituitary gigantism, to aid physicians with the diagnosis of patients with pseudoacromegaly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Marques
- Centre for Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Márta Korbonits
- Centre for Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK.
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18
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Pereverzeva DS, Tyushkevich SA, Gorbachevskaya NL, Mamokhina UA, Danilina KK. Heterogeneity of clinical characteristics of FMR1-related disorders. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2019; 119:103-111. [DOI: 10.17116/jnevro2019119071103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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19
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Abstract
Prenatal carrier screening has expanded to include a larger number of genes and variants offered to all couples considering or with an ongoing pregnancy. Panethnic screening for cystic fibrosis and spinal muscular atrophy and screening for a limited number of conditions based on ethnicity are recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Residual risk calculations have become an obsolete part of posttest counseling when expanded carrier screening (ECS) is selected. The Perception of Uncertainties in Genome Sequencing scale offers a useful understanding of the pretest and posttest counseling concerns that should be considered as part of ECS implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R Gregg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida College of Medicine, PO Box 100294, Gainesville, FL 32610-0294, USA.
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20
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Fragkos M, Bili H, Ntelios D, Tzimagiorgis G, Tarlatzis BC. Are expanded alleles of the FMR1 gene related to unexplained recurrent miscarriages? Hippokratia 2018; 22:132-136. [PMID: 31641334 PMCID: PMC6801122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In women with recurrent miscarriages, up to 50 % of those cases remain unexplained. In this study, we evaluated the impact of Cytosine/Guanine/Guanine (CGG) trinucleotide expansions of the fragile-X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene in women with unexplained recurrent miscarriages. METHODS This is a prospective case-control pilot study involving 49 women with unexplained recurrent miscarriages and 49 age-matched controls with documented fertility. The case group consisted of women with a history of two or more consecutive miscarriages, in whom no known factor could be identified. The maximum age of recruitment was 40 years. We obtained blood samples that were checked, using polymerase chain reaction with electrophoresis, for the presence of expanded alleles of the FMR1 gene. We further evaluated using sequencing analysis, those women marked as positive. We set the limit at more than 40 repeats. RESULTS The repeat sizes of CGG expansion in the FMR1 gene differ significantly in the two population groups (p =0.027). We found four women in the miscarriage group and one in the control group positive for carrying premutation alleles (Odds ratio: 4.267, confidence interval: 0.459-39.629). All the positive cases involved intermediate zone carriers. We found no association between the number of abortions each woman had, and her respective CGG repeat number (p =0.255). CONCLUSIONS Many couples are desperately looking for the cause of their recurrent miscarriage suffering. The CGG expanded allele of the FMR1 gene is possibly to be blamed in some of these cases. More studies are needed to support the results of this prototype study. HIPPOKRATIA 2018, 22(3): 132-136.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Fragkos
- 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Papageorgiou University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - H Bili
- 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Papageorgiou University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - D Ntelios
- Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - G Tzimagiorgis
- Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - B C Tarlatzis
- 1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Papageorgiou University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
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21
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Alvarez-Mora MI, Madrigal I, Martinez F, Tejada MI, Izquierdo-Alvarez S, Sanchez-Villar de Saz P, Caro-Llopis A, Villate O, Rodríguez-Santiago B, Pérez Jurado LA, Rodriguez-Revenga L, Milà M. Clinical implication of FMR1 intermediate alleles in a Spanish population. Clin Genet 2018; 94:153-158. [PMID: 29604051 DOI: 10.1111/cge.13257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
FMR1 premutation carriers (55-200 CGGs) are at risk of developing Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency as well as Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome. FMR1 premutation alleles are also associated with a variety of disorders, including psychiatric, developmental, and neurological problems. However, there is a major concern regarding clinical implications of smaller CGG expansions known as intermediate alleles (IA) or gray zone alleles (45-54 CGG). Although several studies have hypothesized that IA may be involved in the etiology of FMR1 premutation associated phenotypes, this association still remains unclear. The aim of this study was to provide new data on the clinical implications of IA. We reviewed a total of 17 011 individuals: 1142 with primary ovarian insufficiency, 478 with movement disorders, 14 006 with neurodevelopmental disorders and 1385 controls. Similar IA frequencies were detected in all the cases and controls (cases 1.20% vs controls 1.39%, P = .427). When comparing the allelic frequencies of IA ≥ 50CGGs, a greater, albeit not statistically significant, number of alleles were detected in all the cohorts of patients. Therefore, IA below 50 CGGs should not be considered as risk factors for FMR1 premutation-associated phenotypes, at least in our population. However, the clinical implication of IA ≥ 50CGGs remains to be further elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- M I Alvarez-Mora
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica August Pi I Sunyer IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), ISCIII, Valencia, Spain
| | - I Madrigal
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica August Pi I Sunyer IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), ISCIII, Valencia, Spain
| | - F Martinez
- Genetics Unit, Hospital Universitario y Politecnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - M-I Tejada
- Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), ISCIII, Valencia, Spain.,Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Genetics Service, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain.,Biocruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - S Izquierdo-Alvarez
- Genetics department of Clinical Biochemistry Service, University Hospital Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - A Caro-Llopis
- Genetics Unit, Hospital Universitario y Politecnico La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - O Villate
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Genetics Service, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain
| | | | - L A Pérez Jurado
- Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), ISCIII, Valencia, Spain.,Genetics Unit, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, and Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - L Rodriguez-Revenga
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica August Pi I Sunyer IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), ISCIII, Valencia, Spain
| | - M Milà
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica August Pi I Sunyer IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), ISCIII, Valencia, Spain
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22
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Kalinderi K, Asimakopoulos B, Nikolettos N, Manolopoulos VG. Pharmacogenomics in IVF: A New Era in the Concept of Personalized Medicine. Reprod Sci 2018; 26:1313-1325. [PMID: 29587614 DOI: 10.1177/1933719118765970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacogenomics is a promising approach in the field of individualized medicine in in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment that aims to develop optimized pharmacotherapy depending on the genetic background of each infertile woman, thus to ensure maximum effectiveness of the medication used, with minimal side effects. The unique genetic information of each infertile woman, in combination with already known, as well as new predictors of ovarian response and the progress of pharmacoepigenomics, is anticipated to greatly benefit the process of controlled ovarian stimulation. This review analyses current data on IVF pharmacogenomics, a new approach that is gradually moving to the frontline of modern IVF treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kallirhoe Kalinderi
- Department of General Biology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.,3rd Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Byron Asimakopoulos
- Laboratory of Physiology, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Nikos Nikolettos
- Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology-In Vitro Fertilization, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Vangelis G Manolopoulos
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
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23
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Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that many classes of DNA repeats exhibit attributes that distinguish them from other genetic variants, including the fact that they are more liable to mutation; this enables them to mediate genetic plasticity. The expansion of tandem repeats, particularly of short tandem repeats, can cause a range of disorders (including Huntington disease, various ataxias, motor neuron disease, frontotemporal dementia, fragile X syndrome and other neurological disorders), and emerging data suggest that tandem repeat polymorphisms (TRPs) can also regulate gene expression in healthy individuals. TRPs in human genomes may also contribute to the missing heritability of polygenic disorders. A better understanding of tandem repeats and their associated repeatome, as well as their capacity for genetic plasticity via both germline and somatic mutations, is needed to transform our understanding of the role of TRPs in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne.,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Wang XH, Song XH, Wang YL, Diao XH, Li T, Li QC, Zhang XH, Deng XH. Expanded alleles of the FMR1 gene are related to unexplained recurrent miscarriages. Biosci Rep 2017; 37:BSR20170856. [PMID: 29054962 PMCID: PMC5700269 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20170856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Up to 50% of recurrent miscarriage cases in women occur without an underlying etiology. In the current prospective case-control study, we determined the impact of CGG trinucleotide expansions of the fragile-X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene in 49 women with unexplained recurrent miscarriages. Case group consisted of women with two or more unexplained consecutive miscarriages. Blood samples were obtained and checked for the presence of expanded alleles of the FMR1 gene using PCR. Patients harboring the expanded allele, with a threshold set to 40 repeats, were further evaluated by sequencing. The number of abortions each woman had, was not associated with her respective CGG repeat number (P=0.255). The repeat sizes of CGG expansion in the FMR1 gene were significantly different in the two population groups (P=0.027). All the positive cases involved intermediate zone carriers. Hence, the CGG expanded allele of the FMR1 gene might be associated with unexplained multiple miscarriages; whether such an association is coincidental or causal can be confirmed by future studies using a larger patient cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-hua Wang
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Xiao-hua Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Binzhou People’s Hospital, Binzhou, Shandong 256610, China
| | - Yan-lin Wang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Xing-hua Diao
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Tong Li
- Xinshijie Zhongxing Eye Hospital, Shanghai 200050, China
| | - Qing-chun Li
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Xiang-hui Zhang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College, Binzhou, Shandong 256603, China
| | - Xiao-hui Deng
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
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Amaral COFD, Straioto FG, Napimoga MH, Martinez EF. Caries experience and salivary aspects in individuals with fragile X syndrome. Braz Oral Res 2017; 31:e79. [PMID: 29019551 DOI: 10.1590/1807-3107bor-2017.vol31.0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common cause of hereditary mental retardation, but studies on the oral health condition of these patients are rare. The aim of this study was to determine the experience of dental caries in individuals with FXS, by examining the saliva profile, oral hygiene, socioeconomic characteristics and use of controlled drugs in these patients. Dental health was estimated using the decayed, missing and filled teeth index (DMF-T) and sialometry, and the pH value and buffering capacity of the saliva, colony forming units of S. mutans (CFU/mL), visible biofilm index, and socioeconomic status were all examined. The sample, comprising 23 individuals, had an average age of 17.3 ± 5.6 years, a DMF-T index of 5.5, a diminished salivary flow (78.3%), and a low (73.9%) saliva buffering capacity. Most (52.2%) individuals presented with a high abundance (CFU/mL) of S. mutans. The experience of caries was correlated with salivary parameters, poor oral hygiene, lower socioeconomic status and an increased count of S. mutans in saliva.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabiana Gouveia Straioto
- Universidade do Oeste Paulista - UNOESTE, Department of Special Care Dentistry, Dental School, Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Henrique Napimoga
- São Leopoldo Mandic Institute and Research Center, Laboratory of Immunology and Molecular Biology, Campinas, SP, Brazil
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Shelton AL, Cornish KM, Kraan CM, Lozano R, Bui M, Fielding J. Executive Dysfunction in Female FMR1 Premutation Carriers. THE CEREBELLUM 2017; 15:565-9. [PMID: 27126308 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-016-0782-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
There is now growing evidence of cognitive weakness in female premutation carriers (between 55 and 199 CGG repeats) of the fragile X mental retardation gene, including impairments associated with executive function. While an age-related decline in assessments of executive function has been found for male premutation carriers, few studies have explored whether female carriers show a similar trajectory with age. A total of 20 female premutation carriers and 21 age- and IQ-matched healthy controls completed a battery of tasks assessing executive function tasks, including the behavioural dyscontrol scale (BDS), symbol digit modalities test (SDMT), paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT), Haylings sentence completion test and the digit span task (forward and backward). Performance was compared between premutation carriers and healthy controls, and the association between task performance and age was also ascertained. Compared to controls, female premutation carriers had significant impairment on the BDS, SDMT, PASAT, and Haylings sentence completion task, all of which rely on quick, or timed, responses. Further analyses revealed no significant association between age and task performance for either premutation carriers or controls. This study demonstrates that a cohort of female premutation carriers have deficits on a range of tasks of executive function that require the rapid temporal resolution of responses. We propose that the understanding of the phenotype of premutation carriers will be advanced through use of such measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie L Shelton
- School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences (MICCN), Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kim M Cornish
- School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences (MICCN), Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Claudine M Kraan
- School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences (MICCN), Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Reymundo Lozano
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Psychiatry, and Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Minh Bui
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Joanne Fielding
- School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences (MICCN), Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Hayward BE, Kumari D, Usdin K. Recent advances in assays for the fragile X-related disorders. Hum Genet 2017; 136:1313-1327. [PMID: 28866801 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-017-1840-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The fragile X-related disorders are a group of three clinical conditions resulting from the instability of a CGG-repeat tract at the 5' end of the FMR1 transcript. Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) and fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI) are disorders seen in carriers of FMR1 alleles with 55-200 repeats. Female carriers of these premutation (PM) alleles are also at risk of having a child who has an FMR1 allele with >200 repeats. Most of these full mutation (FM) alleles are epigenetically silenced resulting in a deficit of the FMR1 gene product, FMRP. This results in fragile X Syndrome (FXS), the most common heritable cause of intellectual disability and autism. The diagnosis and study of these disorders is challenging, in part because the detection of alleles with large repeat numbers has, until recently, been either time-consuming or unreliable. This problem is compounded by the mosaicism for repeat length and/or DNA methylation that is frequently seen in PM and FM carriers. Furthermore, since AGG interruptions in the repeat tract affect the risk that a FM allele will be maternally transmitted, the ability to accurately detect these interruptions in female PM carriers is an additional challenge that must be met. This review will discuss some of the pros and cons of some recently described assays for these disorders, including those that detect FMRP levels directly, as well as emerging technologies that promise to improve the diagnosis of these conditions and to be useful in both basic and translational research settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce E Hayward
- Section on Gene Structure and Disease, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Building 8, Room 2A19, National Institutes of Health, 8 Center Drive MSC 0830, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Daman Kumari
- Section on Gene Structure and Disease, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Building 8, Room 2A19, National Institutes of Health, 8 Center Drive MSC 0830, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Karen Usdin
- Section on Gene Structure and Disease, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Building 8, Room 2A19, National Institutes of Health, 8 Center Drive MSC 0830, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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Alvarez-Mora MI, Guitart M, Rodriguez-Revenga L, Madrigal I, Gabau E, Milà M. Paternal transmission of a FMR1 full mutation allele. Am J Med Genet A 2017; 173:2795-2797. [PMID: 28815939 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability (ID) and autism. In most of cases, the molecular basis of this syndrome is a CGG repeat expansion in the 5' untranslated region of the FMR1 gene. It is inherited as an X linked dominant trait, with a reduced penetrance (80% for males and 30% for females). Full mutation (FM) expansion from premutated alleles (PM) is only acquired via maternal meiosis, while paternal transmission always remains in the PM range. We present a 16-year-old girl with a mild fragile X syndrome phenotype. FMR1 gene study showed that the patient inherited a mosaic premutation-full mutation with an unmethylated uninterrupted allele (175, >200 CGG) from her father. The father showed an 88 CGG uninterrupted unmethylated allele in blood and sperm cells. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a FMR1 mosaic premutation-full mutation allele inherited from a PM father. In our opinion, the most likely explanation could be a postzygotic somatic expansion. We can conclude that in rare cases of a child with a full mutation whose mother does not carry a premutation, the possibility of paternal transmission should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Isabel Alvarez-Mora
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERER Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miriam Guitart
- Genetics Laboratory, UDIAT-Centre Diagnostic, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí I3PT, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Sabadell, Spain
| | - Laia Rodriguez-Revenga
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERER Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irene Madrigal
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERER Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisabeth Gabau
- Genetics Laboratory, UDIAT-Centre Diagnostic, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí I3PT, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Sabadell, Spain
| | - Montserrat Milà
- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERER Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
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29
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Transmission of double FMR1 allelic premutations in a family. Genes Genomics 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13258-016-0506-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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30
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Li M, Zhao H, Ananiev GE, Musser MT, Ness KH, Maglaque DL, Saha K, Bhattacharyya A, Zhao X. Establishment of Reporter Lines for Detecting Fragile X Mental Retardation (FMR1) Gene Reactivation in Human Neural Cells. Stem Cells 2016; 35:158-169. [PMID: 27422057 DOI: 10.1002/stem.2463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Human patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provide unique opportunities for disease modeling and drug development. However, adapting hiPSCs or their differentiated progenies to high throughput assays for phenotyping or drug screening has been challenging. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability and a major genetic cause of autism. FXS is caused by mutational trinucleotide expansion in the FMR1 gene leading to hypermethylation and gene silencing. One potential therapeutic strategy is to reactivate the silenced FMR1 gene, which has been attempted using both candidate chemicals and cell-based screening. However, molecules that effectively reactivate the silenced FMR1 gene are yet to be identified; therefore, a high throughput unbiased screen is needed. Here we demonstrate the creation of a robust FMR1-Nluc reporter hiPSC line by knocking in a Nano luciferase (Nluc) gene into the endogenous human FMR1 gene using the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing method. We confirmed that luciferase activities faithfully report FMR1 gene expression levels and showed that neural progenitor cells derived from this line could be optimized for high throughput screening. The FMR1-Nluc reporter line is a good resource for drug screening as well as for testing potential genetic reactivation strategies. In addition, our data provide valuable information for the generation of knockin human iPSC reporter lines for disease modeling, drug screening, and mechanistic studies. Stem Cells 2017;35:158-169.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Li
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Huashan Zhao
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Gene E Ananiev
- Small Molecule Screening Facility, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Michael T Musser
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kathryn H Ness
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Dianne L Maglaque
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Krishanu Saha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.,Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Xinyu Zhao
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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31
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A MutSβ-Dependent Contribution of MutSα to Repeat Expansions in Fragile X Premutation Mice? PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006190. [PMID: 27427765 PMCID: PMC4948851 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The fragile X-related disorders result from expansion of a CGG/CCG microsatellite in the 5’ UTR of the FMR1 gene. We have previously demonstrated that the MSH2/MSH3 complex, MutSβ, that is important for mismatch repair, is essential for almost all expansions in a mouse model of these disorders. Here we show that the MSH2/MSH6 complex, MutSα also contributes to the production of both germ line and somatic expansions as evidenced by the reduction in the number of expansions observed in Msh6-/- mice. This effect is not mediated via an indirect effect of the loss of MSH6 on the level of MSH3. However, since MutSβ is required for 98% of germ line expansions and almost all somatic ones, MutSα is apparently not able to efficiently substitute for MutSβ in the expansion process. Using purified human proteins we demonstrate that MutSα, like MutSβ, binds to substrates with loop-outs of the repeats and increases the thermal stability of the structures that they form. We also show that MutSα facilitates binding of MutSβ to these loop-outs. These data suggest possible models for the contribution of MutSα to repeat expansion. In addition, we show that unlike MutSβ, MutSα may also act to protect against repeat contractions in the Fmr1 gene. The repeat expansion diseases are a group of human genetic disorders that are caused by expansion of a specific microsatellite in a single affected gene. How this expansion occurs is unknown, but previous work in various models for different diseases in the group, including the fragile X-related disorders (FXDs), has implicated the mismatch repair complex MutSβ in the process. With the exception of somatic expansion in Friedreich ataxia, MutSα has not been reported to contribute to generation of expansions in other disease models. Here we show that MutSα does in fact play a role in both germ line and somatic expansions in a mouse model of the FXDs since the expansion frequency is significantly reduced in Msh6-/- mice. However, since we have previously shown that loss of MutSβ eliminates almost all expansions, MutSα is apparently not able to fully substitute for MutSβ in the expansion process. We also show here that MutSα increases the stability of the structures formed by the fragile X repeats that are thought to be the substrates for expansion and promotes binding of MutSβ to the repeats. This, together with our genetic data, suggests possible models for how MutSα and MutSβ, could co-operate to generate repeat expansions in the FXDs.
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32
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Banks N, Patounakis G, Devine K, DeCherney AH, Widra E, Levens ED, Whitcomb BW, Hill MJ. Is FMR1 CGG repeat length a predictor of in vitro fertilization stimulation response or outcome? Fertil Steril 2016; 105:1537-1546.e8. [PMID: 26940792 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Revised: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study a broad range of FMR1 CGG repeat lengths and assisted reproduction technology (ART) outcomes. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Private ART practice. PATIENT(S) Fresh autologous ART stimulation cycles. INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Oocyte yield, live birth. RESULT(S) We screened 14,088 fresh autologous ART cycles from 2012 to 2015, of which 4,690 cycles in 3,290 patients met the inclusion criteria. The FMR1 repeat length was statistically significantly but weakly associated with oocyte yield and other markers of ovarian response. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis suggested extremely limited predictive ability. Moreover, the FMR1 repeat length was not statistically significantly associated with outcomes in multivariable models, including other markers of ovarian reserve. The FMR1 repeat length was not associated with embryo quality or live birth. Only patient age had a strong ability to predict live birth. CONCLUSION(S) The FMR1 repeat length is associated with ART response, but only weakly. It provides no incremental predictive ability beyond the conventionally used predictors, including patient age, antimüllerian hormone concentration, antral follicle count, and follicle-stimulating hormone level. These data suggest a possible role of the FMR1 repeat length within the normal range in ovarian response but demonstrate no clinically relevant indication for testing FMR1 as a predictor of ART outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Banks
- Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - George Patounakis
- Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kate Devine
- Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Shady Grove Fertility Science Center, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Alan H DeCherney
- Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Eric Widra
- Shady Grove Fertility Science Center, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Eric D Levens
- Shady Grove Fertility Science Center, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Brian W Whitcomb
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Micah J Hill
- Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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Brasa S, Mueller A, Jacquemont S, Hahne F, Rozenberg I, Peters T, He Y, McCormack C, Gasparini F, Chibout SD, Grenet O, Moggs J, Gomez-Mancilla B, Terranova R. Reciprocal changes in DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation and a broad repressive epigenetic switch characterize FMR1 transcriptional silencing in fragile X syndrome. Clin Epigenetics 2016; 8:15. [PMID: 26855684 PMCID: PMC4743126 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-016-0181-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability, resulting from the loss of function of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. The molecular pathways associated with FMR1 epigenetic silencing are still elusive, and their characterization may enhance the discovery of novel therapeutic targets as well as the development of novel clinical biomarkers for disease status. Results We have deployed customized epigenomic profiling assays to comprehensively map the FMR1 locus chromatin landscape in peripheral mononuclear blood cells (PBMCs) from eight FXS patients and in fibroblast cell lines derived from three FXS patient. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation (5-methylcytosine (5mC)) and hydroxymethylation (5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC)) profiling using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) combined with a custom FMR1 microarray identifies novel regions of DNA (hydroxy)methylation changes within the FMR1 gene body as well as in proximal flanking regions. At the region surrounding the FMR1 transcriptional start sites, increased levels of 5mC were associated to reciprocal changes in 5hmC, representing a novel molecular feature of FXS disease. Locus-specific validation of FMR1 5mC and 5hmC changes highlighted inter-individual differences that may account for the expected DNA methylation mosaicism observed at the FMR1 locus in FXS patients. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) profiling of FMR1 histone modifications, together with 5mC/5hmC and gene expression analyses, support a functional relationship between 5hmC levels and FMR1 transcriptional activation and reveal cell-type specific differences in FMR1 epigenetic regulation. Furthermore, whilst 5mC FMR1 levels positively correlated with FXS disease severity (clinical scores of aberrant behavior), our data reveal for the first time an inverse correlation between 5hmC FMR1 levels and FXS disease severity. Conclusions We identify novel, cell-type specific, regions of FMR1 epigenetic changes in FXS patient cells, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms of FXS. We propose that the combined measurement of 5mC and 5hmC at selected regions of the FMR1 locus may significantly enhance FXS clinical diagnostics and patient stratification. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13148-016-0181-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Brasa
- Preclinical Safety, Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Arne Mueller
- Preclinical Safety, Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sébastien Jacquemont
- Service de Génétique Médicale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Florian Hahne
- Preclinical Safety, Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Izabela Rozenberg
- Neuroscience Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Peters
- BioMarker Development, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Yunsheng He
- BioMarker Development, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Christine McCormack
- Clinical Diagnostics, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Fabrizio Gasparini
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Salah-Dine Chibout
- Preclinical Safety, Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Grenet
- Preclinical Safety, Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Moggs
- Preclinical Safety, Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Baltazar Gomez-Mancilla
- Neuroscience Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rémi Terranova
- Preclinical Safety, Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
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Zhao XN, Kumari D, Gupta S, Wu D, Evanitsky M, Yang W, Usdin K. Mutsβ generates both expansions and contractions in a mouse model of the Fragile X-associated disorders. Hum Mol Genet 2015; 24:7087-96. [PMID: 26420841 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X-associated disorders are Repeat Expansion Diseases that result from expansion of a CGG/CCG-repeat in the FMR1 gene. Contractions of the repeat tract also occur, albeit at lower frequency. However, these contractions can potentially modulate disease symptoms or generate an allele with repeat numbers in the normal range. Little is known about the expansion mechanism and even less about contractions. We have previously demonstrated that the mismatch repair (MMR) protein MSH2 is required for expansions in a mouse model of these disorders. Here, we show that MSH3, the MSH2-binding partner in the MutSβ complex, is required for 98% of germ line expansions and all somatic expansions in this model. In addition, we provide evidence for two different contraction mechanisms that operate in the mouse model, a MutSβ-independent one that generates small contractions and a MutSβ-dependent one that generates larger ones. We also show that MutSβ complexes formed with the repeats have altered kinetics of ATP hydrolysis relative to complexes with bona fide MMR substrates and that MutSβ increases the stability of the CCG-hairpins at physiological temperatures. These data may have important implications for our understanding of the mechanism(s) of repeat instability and for the role of MMR proteins in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Nan Zhao
- Section on Gene Structure and Disease, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology
| | - Daman Kumari
- Section on Gene Structure and Disease, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology
| | - Shikha Gupta
- Section on Structure and Mechanisms of DNA repair, replication and recombination, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and
| | - Di Wu
- Section on Physical Biochemistry, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0830, USA
| | - Maya Evanitsky
- Section on Gene Structure and Disease, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology
| | - Wei Yang
- Section on Structure and Mechanisms of DNA repair, replication and recombination, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and
| | - Karen Usdin
- Section on Gene Structure and Disease, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology,
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Schufreider A, McQueen DB, Lee SM, Allon R, Uhler ML, Davie J, Feinberg EC. Diminished ovarian reserve is not observed in infertility patients with high normal CGG repeats on the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. Hum Reprod 2015; 30:2686-92. [PMID: 26345686 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dev220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Does an association exist between high normal numbers of CGG trinucleotide repeats on the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene and diminished ovarian reserve (DOR)? SUMMARY ANSWER This large data set demonstrated that a high normal number of CGG repeats (35-54 repeats) on the FMR1 gene was not significantly correlated with DOR. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The FMR1 premutation (55-200 repeats) is a known cause of primary ovarian insufficiency. However, the relationship between high normal CGG repeat numbers (35-54 repeats) and ovarian reserve has yet to be conclusively demonstrated. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This is a retrospective data analysis conducted between January 2012 and February 2014 that included 1287 women. Over 1140 women had complete data. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS All women, excluding oocyte donors, who presented to a large private practice specializing in reproductive endocrinology and infertility for treatment and who underwent both fragile X and ovarian reserve testing were included. All fragile X testing was performed using triplet repeat PCR, with confirmation of positives by Southern blot. CGG repeat numbers from both alleles were recorded, and the allele with the higher number of repeats was used for statistical calculations. We did not differentiate between patients with one or two high normal alleles. Women with >54 CGG repeats were excluded from the analysis. For our analysis, we considered both a 'high normal' number of CGG repeats (35-44) and an intermediate number of GCC repeats (45-54) as 'high normal'. Ovarian reserve testing was carried out on Cycle Day 2 or 3 and included measurements of FSH, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC). A generalized linear regression model assuming gamma distribution and log link function that controlled for age was used to assess correlation between CGG repeat number and FSH, AMH and AFC. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE As expected, there was a significant correlation between increasing age and increasing FSH and decreasing AFC and AMH for the patients in this study. For every 1-year increase in age, FSH increased by a factor of 1.04, AFC decreased by a factor of 0.93 and AMH decreased by a factor of 0.89. After controlling for age, there was no significant correlation between FMR1 CGG trinucleotide repeat number and FSH (P = 0.23), AFC (P = 0.14) or AMH (P = 0.53). Three subgroup analyses were also performed. We found a significant relationship between increasing CGG repeat number and decreasing AMH levels (P = 0.01) in women >44 years old. The second subgroup analysis included only Caucasian patients and found no significant correlation between CGG repeat number and DOR. In a subgroup analysis comparing women with at least one allele <26 repeats, at least one allele >35 and women with both alleles between 29 and 32, there were no significant associations regarding ovarian reserve in any of these groups. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION One limitation of this study is that it involved a heterogeneous population of infertile women with mixed diagnoses. Factors that could affect ovarian reserve, such as medical comorbidities, prior surgeries, family history and endometriosis, were not accounted for. Finally, there was a lack of racial diversity, with Caucasians representing 67.8% of the total population. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The findings of this study are generalizable to an infertility population and are in line with several previously published studies. Women who are found to have high normal CGG repeat numbers can be counseled that this is not causative for DOR. Further studies are needed to investigate whether increasing CGG repeat numbers are associated with ovarian responsiveness to gonadotrophin stimulation or IVF outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Schufreider
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Dana B McQueen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Sang Mee Lee
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue MC2000, TE011, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Rachel Allon
- Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago, 924 East 57th Street Ste 104, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Meike L Uhler
- Fertility Centers of Illinois, 900 N. Kingsbury Ste RW6, Chicago, IL 60610, USA
| | - Jocelyn Davie
- Good Start Genetics, Inc., 237 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Eve C Feinberg
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA Fertility Centers of Illinois, 900 N. Kingsbury Ste RW6, Chicago, IL 60610, USA Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NorthShore University Health System, 2650 Ridge Road, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
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Abstract
Recent research has established clear connections between G-quadruplexes and human disease. Features of quadruplex structures that promote genomic instability have been determined. Quadruplexes have been identified as transcriptional, translational and epigenetic regulatory targets of factors associated with human genetic disease. An expandable GGGGCC motif that can adopt a G4 structure, located in the previously obscure C9ORF72 locus, has been shown to contribute to two well-recognized neurodegenerative diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). This review focuses on these advances, which further dispel the view that genomic biology is limited to the confines of the canonical B-form DNA duplex, and show how quadruplexes contribute spatial and temporal dimensionalities to linear sequence information. This recent progress also has clear practical ramifications, as prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease depend on understanding the underlying mechanisms.
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Validation of a Commercially Available Screening Tool for the Rapid Identification of CGG Trinucleotide Repeat Expansions in FMR1. J Mol Diagn 2015; 17:302-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2014.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2014] [Revised: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Telias M, Ben-Yosef D. Modeling neurodevelopmental disorders using human pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2015; 10:494-511. [PMID: 24728983 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-014-9507-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) are impairments that affect the development and growth of the brain and the central nervous system during embryonic and early postnatal life. Genetically manipulated animals have contributed greatly to the advancement of ND research, but many of them differ considerably from the human phenotype. Cellular in vitro models are also valuable, but the availability of human neuronal cells is limited and their lifespan in culture is short. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, comprise a powerful tool for studying developmentally regulated diseases, including NDs. We reviewed all recent studies in which hPSCs were used as in vitro models for diseases and syndromes characterized by impairment of neurogenesis or synaptogenesis leading to intellectual disability and delayed neurodevelopment. We analyzed their methodology and results, focusing on the data obtained following in vitro neural differentiation and gene expression and profiling of the derived neurons. Electrophysiological recording of action potentials, synaptic currents and response to neurotransmitters is pivotal for validation of the neuronal fate as well as for assessing phenotypic dysfunctions linked to the disease in question. We therefore focused on the studies which included electrophysiological recordings on the in vitro-derived neurons. Finally, we addressed specific issues that are critical for the advancement of this area of research, specifically in providing a reliable human pre-clinical research model and drug screening platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Telias
- The Wolfe PGD-Stem Cell Lab, Racine IVF Unit, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 as drug target for Fragile X syndrome. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2015; 20:124-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2014.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Usdin K, House NCM, Freudenreich CH. Repeat instability during DNA repair: Insights from model systems. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2015; 50:142-67. [PMID: 25608779 DOI: 10.3109/10409238.2014.999192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The expansion of repeated sequences is the cause of over 30 inherited genetic diseases, including Huntington disease, myotonic dystrophy (types 1 and 2), fragile X syndrome, many spinocerebellar ataxias, and some cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Repeat expansions are dynamic, and disease inheritance and progression are influenced by the size and the rate of expansion. Thus, an understanding of the various cellular mechanisms that cooperate to control or promote repeat expansions is of interest to human health. In addition, the study of repeat expansion and contraction mechanisms has provided insight into how repair pathways operate in the context of structure-forming DNA, as well as insights into non-canonical roles for repair proteins. Here we review the mechanisms of repeat instability, with a special emphasis on the knowledge gained from the various model systems that have been developed to study this topic. We cover the repair pathways and proteins that operate to maintain genome stability, or in some cases cause instability, and the cross-talk and interactions between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Usdin
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, NIDDK, NIH , Bethesda, MD , USA
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Promoter microsatellites as modulators of human gene expression. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2012; 769:41-54. [PMID: 23560304 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-5434-2_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Microsatellites in and around genes have been shown to modulate levels of gene expression in multiple organisms, ranging from bacteria to humans. Here we will discuss promoter microsatellites known to modulate gene expression, with a few key examples related to the human brain. Many of the microsatellites we discuss are highly conserved in mammals, indicating that selection may favor their retention as "tuning knobs" of gene expression. We will also discuss the mechanisms by which microsatellites in promoters can alter gene expression as they expand and contract, with particular attention to secondary structures like Z-DNA and H-DNA. We suggest that promoter microsatellites, especially those that are highly conserved, may be an important source of human phenotypic variation.
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